Perry continues as state’s longest-serving governor

The longest serving governor of Texas has just taken the oath of office and is giving his inauguration speech, reaffirming intentions to fill a projected $27 billion budget shortfall without increasing taxes.

Gov. Rick Perry

“As legislators do the hard work of trimming agency budgets, the headlines will be dominated by impacted constituencies, but these tough times dictate government doing more with less,” Gov. Rick Perry said. “That’s what we campaigned on, and that’s what we’ll deliver.
“We need to prioritize and justify every penny and validate every investment made,” Perry said.

Perry is starting his third, four-year term as governor and building on his tenure as the longest serving governor in Texas history. Perry moved into the Governor’s Mansion soon after then Gov. George W. Bush resigned in December 2000 to take over the presidency.

Perry opened his speech with a joke about his long tenure.

“It took 154 years to get an Aggie into the governor’s office, and some of you are probably wondering if he’ll ever leave,” the Texas A&M graduate said..